Supreme Court case: juvenile offenders serving life in prison

In recognition of his plea, the judge sentenced him to 12 months in county jail and three years' probation, rather than a prison term. But six months after his release from jail, Terrance was arrested for participating in a series of armed home-invasion robberies.

The judge revoked his probation and sentenced him to life in prison. In announcing the life sentence, Judge Lance Day said: "It is apparent to the court that you have decided that this is the way you are going to live your life and that the only thing I can do now is to try to protect the community from your actions."

The other Florida case involves Joe Sullivan, who in 1989 at age 13, allegedly beat, raped, and robbed a woman in her 70s.

Earlier that day while the victim was away, Joe and two other teens broke into her home, stealing jewelry and coins. Later, when the woman came home, Joe and another teen allegedly returned. That's when the beating, rape, and second robbery took place.

He was tried as an adult and convicted. Based on his prior criminal history, he scored 846 points under Florida's sentencing guidelines. The guidelines suggest that a life prison sentence is appropriate for anyone scoring at least 583 points.

Joe's lawyers dispute the rape charge. DNA evidence collected at the crime scene was destroyed by the state after the trial 20 years ago, before DNA testing became routine.

Lawyers for Messrs. Graham and Sullivan appealed their convictions and lost at every level. Then in 2005, the US Supreme Court handed down a 5-to-4 decision in a case called Roper v. Simmons. For the first time, the high court declared the death penalty unconstitutional for juveniles.

No matter how heinous the crime, Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the majority, juveniles are less culpable for their criminal activities than adults because they are less mature, less able to control impulses and resist peer pressure, and less able to appreciate the full magnitude of their wrongdoing. In addition, he said, experts are unable to predict which juvenile offenders may successfully reform their lives once they are older. Under such circumstances, death is a disproportionate punishment for juveniles, he said.